St. John's Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
St. John's Episcopal Church, at 2600 Church Street in Cleveland, is an Early English Gothic Revival building completed in the fall of 1838. Its walls are random ashlar sandstone quarried along the Cuyahoga River, with pointed-arch windows trimmed in local white limestone and a three-story bell tower rising over the narthex. Hezekiah Eldredge, a parish charter member, both designed and built it. A fire in 1866 gutted the interior, and tornadoes in 1943 and 1954 damaged the tower and north end, leading to a steeper roof, a brick-faced north wall and a redone interior that retains red oak hammer beam trusses, pews and an original tracker organ under restoration. It is described as the oldest church standing in Cuyahoga County and still holds services. The nomination also says it served as the last stop on an Underground Railroad route, with hiding spaces in the tower and deep basement. It is the only surviving building credited to Eldredge in the Cleveland area.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the oldest church standing in Cuyahoga County and one of the best works of architect-builder Hezekiah Eldredge, the only one of his Cleveland-area buildings still standing. It is also described as the last stop on an Underground Railroad route to Canada, with hiding places in the bell tower and deep basement.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001418, listed February 23, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2600 Church St., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | February 23, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001418 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific dates 1836-1838) |
| Architect / builder | Hezekiah Eldredge |
| Architectural style | Early English Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as an active church; condition marked good and altered, with the bell tower in need of additional work and the original organ being restored. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.49002, -81.70806 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001418.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588675
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.